Safety paper



Aprifi 7, 1931. R BQHRER I 1,799,499

SAFETY PAPER Filed Feb. 29, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l DATE NO. IN FAVOR O HE FrRSl NATIONAL BANK v HERE,U S. A. i92

4o 20 30 }06 soygyyv$7 7 j- 1s INVENTOR RAYMOND E. BOHRER w v m'SAT TNE Aprifi 7, 1931- R. E. BOHRER 1,799,499

SAFETY PAPER Filed Feb. 29. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n TQEE'IRsT NATIONAL BA K lNVENTOR RAYMOND E. BOHRER ous maximum valuation Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES RAYMOND n nonnnn, or nocmisrnn, NEW

PATENT OFFICE YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE TODD COMPANY INCORPORATED, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SAFETY PAPER Application fil ed February 29, 1928. Serial No. 258,044.

This invention relates to safety paper's such as are commonl used for bonds, bank notes,

bank checks an other instruments of monev thereon legends or inscriptions of maximum p amount valuations which are normally invisible or indistinguishable, but which can be selectively and readily converted by the mak-' er of the instrument into conspicuous, relatively indelible inscriptions .to protect the instrument against alteration, orfraising of its intended value. a

Another object of the'invention' is the provision of a safety paper having a portion thereof covered by suitable warning indicia and substantially, the remaining portion covered' by a plurality of maximum valuation legends, all being applied to the paper in such a manner as to be normally invisible or indistinguishable but which are capable of being converted into conspicuous, relatively permanent inscriptions, either by the maker of the instrument intentionally rendering the maximum valuation legends conspicuous, or by an attempt to alter any of the matter recorded by the. maker on the instrument which would render the warning indicia permanently conspicuous.

To these and other ends the invention resides incertain improvements and combina-v tions of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully 1 described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aview 0 present invention, and illustratingl the manner of associating the check wit a binder which latter is provided-with indicia for informing the user of the positions of the varilegends. on the check;

Fig. 2 is a view of a slightly different form of the invention, in which the position of the maximum valuation legends are indicated on the check itself;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modified form of holder for the checks, having associated therebut which can in a delible or f a check embodying the with a mechanical indicator of the maximum values onthe check, and f Fig. 4 is a plan view of the holder illustrated in Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The present invention provides safety paers for legal instruments, such as checks, drafts and the like, hearing maximum valuation legends thereon, which are normally invisible but are capable of being readily and selectively rendered permanently conspicuous b the maker of the instrument.

To this end the maximum valuation legends may be applied to the paper as a watermark,

or with a liquid such as anink which is normally colorless and invisible and capable of being converted into a deep, permanent color by reaction with bleaching chemicals such as are commonly employed in so-called ink eradicators. Any method of preparing the paper, whereby there is marked or prlnted thereon a plurality of maximum valuation legends which are normally indistinguishable be readily converted into conspicuous, permanent inscriptions isconsid: ered to be within the scope-of this invention. Although the legends may be applied in colorless, developable ink, or the like, in a manner rendering detection impossible or extremely difiicult, it is sometimes desirable to provide an accompanying marking therewith fugitive ink which will effectively mask the presence of the colorless ink, in case it has some slight degree of visibility, as for example, in the case of certain kinds of colorless ink and certain varieties of paper, the presence of colorless ink on the paper may be detected by holding it up to the light at certain angles. In the use of the accompanying delible marking, whether necessary as a camouflage or not, the conspicuous character of the legends, when developed, is increased by reason of the fact that the accompanying marking will be removed at the place where the maximum valuation legend hasbeen developed, and the difficulty of raising the maximum value is also increased due to the practical impossibility of replacing the accompanying marking in a manner which cannot be readily detected.

The accompanying marking may be ap plied either before or after the application of the legends, and it may have the form of a pattern, design or solid tint applied to the paper in any convenient well known manner.

For certain purposes it is not necessary that the accompanying camouflaging marking be applied in delible or fugitive ink, and it is equally within the scope of the present invention to provide such marking inan unchangeable, indelible ink which cannot be removed by abrasive methods, or by eradicating chemicals. When such markingis applied'it should, however, be of a color, or color combination, which contrasts suificiently with the developed maximum valuation legends so that the latter can be readily distinguished after development by the maker of the. selected legend.

It is sometimes preferable to apply the legendsto the paper by the use of a colored which is capable of being intensified bychemicals, such as those used for ink eradicators, and accompanying the legends with a camouflaging marking which, in like manner, as brought out above, may be applied in either a. fugitive or anunchangeable ink.

It is also within the scope of the present invention to apply the maximum valuation legends to the paper in permanent visible characters "accompanied by camoufiaging markings of a fugitive nature, such as, for exam le,-usin a colored, unchangeable ink for tfie legends and a colored fugitive ink for the camouflaging marking which may have a similar oraarker-color value than the legends so as to effectively mask and conceal their presence. The accompanying camoufiaging marking for this purpose may, similarly as above, be in the nature of either a design or solid tint, andma be applied either previously or subsequently to the application of the maximum valuation legends.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the pa er 10, of any variety suitable for checks, dra ts andother similar instruments, is subjected to an operation which applies thereto a plurality of selected maximum valuation legends, one of which is shown at v11, having been rendered visible by one of the methods herein disclosed. Theselegends may be formed by means of a colorless, de-

velopahle ink on the paper otherwise left in a plain condition, or having applied thereto a marking, schematicall designatedby the diagonal lines 12, which may be in the nature of a pattern, design or solid tint. The marking 12, as explained above, may be either fugitive or unchangeable as desired.

A suitable form of invisible marking or printing for the maximum valuation legends may be obtained by the use of a colorless ink containing a developing reagent, such als v fugitive camouflage benzidine sulphate, which may be either completely or substantially invisible according to the variety of paper and manner of application, and which when treated by an ordinary bleaching agent, such as used for chemical ink-eradicators, will be developed into a deep permanent color.

The legends may, if desired, be printed in a colored intensifying ink, and camouflaged with either a fugitive or an unchangeable marking having a similar or darker color valus; or, as previously explained, the legends may be applied in an unchangeable, permanent manner so as to be clearly distinguishable when standing alone but camouflaged with a fugitive accompanying marking which renders them indistinguishable.

The maximum valuation legends are preferably applied, as shown, to a portion of the paper which .is ordinarily not used for the other subject matter of the instrument. The remaining portions of the instrument are preferably covered'by suitable warning characters or signs 13, such as the word void, which are preferably applied in the same variety of marking as that used for the maximum valuation legends, so that the two sets of inscriptions may be applied at the same operation. It is, however, within the scope of this invention to apply these inscriptions by different operations and in different types of markings, for example, the maximum valuation legends could be applied in a colorless,

draft or other instrument in the usual man ner, he will apply to a ortion of the paper where the desired invisible maxi-mum valuation legend is located, a reagent which will render such legend permanently conspicuous. In the event the maximum valuation legends are applied in developable ink, the makerof the instrument will apply a chemical such as ink-eradicator or other bleaching reagent at the place where such legend is located, which will develop the selected legend and at the same time remove any marking, if such is pres ent, from the portion of the paper where the legend has been applied. If the camouflage marklng is not fugitive the developed legend will be of a nature such that it will be conspicuous notwithstanding'the presence of the marking. If the instrument has been prepared by employing unchangeable, visible markings for the maximum valuation legto remove the camouflage marking and reveal the selected legend.

The instruments prepared as described above are preferably bound together in suitable pads for convenient attachment to a holder 14, as best shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of readily indicating the positions of the invisible, or camouflaged maximum valuation legends to the maker of the instrument, a backing strip 15 is provided, one edge of which extends beyond the pad of checks, preferably at the bottom thereof, and carries an index 16 composed of numbers corresponding to the series of maximum valuation checks. The numbers are bound in registry with the invisible legends so as to guide the maker of the check 1n applying the reagent for renderin one of them visible or conspicuous. The c eck pad is provided with the usual tongue 17 for detachably mounting the same in the holder. The holder is preferably provided with record sheets 18 for entering the data of the checks drawn. i

As an alternative to ,the use of the index on the backing strip 15, the index showing the position of the maximum valuation le ends may be printed directly on, the chec as shown at 19 in Fig. 2. 7

Figs. 3 and 4: illustrate a further slight modification of the invention in which the pad of checks is mounted in a folding holder 20 having a hinged mask 21 mounted in the sliding hinge member 22, so that the mask may rest flat on the surface of the book irrespective of the thickness thereof. This mask fits closely over the checks and is provided with a series of slots 23 which are adapted to register with the portions bearing the maximum valuation legends 11 of the checks, and said slots are indexed in such a Way that they may be used as guides or stencils for the application of the agent which brings out the selected maximum valuation legend and alsoremovesthe accompanying camouflage marking when the latter has been applied to the check.

In the use of the present invention, the blank checks arefilled out in the usual manner after which the maker applies the applfopriate developing agent to'the portion of t e valuation legend, the exact location of which is indicated by any of the methods illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 andi l. This agent so applied brings out theinvisible rinting at: the proper place in the manner a ove described." Any attempt to alter ;the' writt'er't part's of the checks by the use of ink-'eradicator will simply result in the development of the warning signs and produce an indelible record of the fact that an alteration had been attempted.

The invention thus provides an effective safety paper to effectively prevent the altering or raising of checks, drafts, or the like.

The maximum legends concealed on the form which carries the desired maximum aper, herein disclosed, can be selectively valuation legends on the rought out or developed on the paper in an v inexpensive manner wlthout necessitating the use of any mechanism other than the ordinary ink-eradicator or ink eraser according to t e variety of printing employed in making the paper.

claim as my invention:

1. A safety paper rality of concealed maximum valuation legends which are capable of being rendered visible by the application of a chemical reagent.

2. A safety paper bearing thereon a series of invisible maxim-um valuation legends which are capable of being rendered visible by the application of a chemical reagent.

3. A safety paper bearing thereon in color-- less, developable ink a plurality of maximum valuation legends.

4. A safety paper having applied thereto in intensifying ink a plurality of maximum valuation legends with an accompanying mark;-

ingsubstantially covering and concealing the legends.

5. A safety paper havin applied thereto in an intensifying ink a p urality of maximum valuation legends with an accompanying marking of delible ink substantially'covering and concealing said legends.

6. A safety paper having applied thereto in an indelible ink a plurality of maximum valuation legends with an accompanying markin of delible ink substantially covering an concealing said legends.

A safety paper having applied thereto in colored intensifying ink a plurality of maximum valuation legends with an accompanying marking of'delible ink substantially covering said legends and having a color value of a similar or deeper shade thamthat of the legends.

8. A safety .paper bearing thereon in colorless, developable ink a" plurality of aximum valuation legends, and means com ined therewith for indicating the positions of said legends.

" 9. A safety paperi bearing thereon in. a concealed manner a plurality of maximum valuation legends capable of being selectively rendered visible, and means combined therewith for indicating the positions of said legends.

10. A safety paper bearing thereon in de velopable ink a plurality of maximum valuation legends with an accompanying marking in delible ink substantially coverin and concealing said legends, and means. com ined with said paper for indicating the positions of said legends. Y

11. A safety paper bearing thereon in a colored intensifying ink a plurality'of maximum valuation 1e ends with an accompanying marking in de ible ink substantially covering and concealing said legends, and means bearing thereon a plut combined with said paper for indicating the positions of said legends. I

12. A safety paper bearing thereon in colcred, permanent ink a plurallty of maximum Valuation legends With an accompanying marking in delible ink substantially covering and concealing said legends, and means combined with said paper for indicating the positions of said legends.

13. A safety paper bearing a plurality of concealed maximum valuation legends which are capable of being rendered visible by the application of a chemical reagent, and means associated with said paper for indicating the position of each of said legends.

RAYMOND E. BOHRER. 

